Driver accused in Little Havana hit-and-run that killed woman now facing vehicular homicide, DUI manslaughter
The driver accused in last month's hit-and-run that killed a woman who was crossing a Miami street is now facing additional charges after her toxicology report revealed she was driving under the influence at the time of the crash.
According to updated arrest documents obtained by CBS News Miami, 32-year-old Ivana Gomez is now facing vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter charges after her toxicology report showed she had blood alcohol content (BAC) levels over the legal limit when she hit and killed 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis in the early hours of May 30.
"The defendant's flagrant disregard for human life by striking the victim and fleeing the scene demonstrates a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others," the updated arrest documents said.
When Gomez was first arrested, she faced several other charges, including leaving the scene of a crash involving death and resisting arrest without violence.
City of Miami Police noted in the arrest documents that Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Laura Adams was notified and briefed about Gomez's additional charges.
The crash that shut down Little Havana for hours
Just after 1 a.m. on May 30, Miami Police said Gomez was driving a blue 2019 BMW 330i westbound on Southwest 7th Street at high speeds when a nearby officer saw her speeding past him near 16th Avenue. According to the updated arrest documents, Gomez was driving so fast that the officer had to "travel over 100 mph" just to catch up with her.
As the officer was catching up with Gomez, he witnessed her strike Kipnis with such force that a chunk of her hair became embedded in the car's windshield and headrest. According to the updated arrest documents, Kipnis was carried by Gomez's car for approximately 231 feet before her body was "violently thrown off" the vehicle. She died at the scene.
The officer immediately turned on his emergency lights and continued to pursue Gomez until she stopped at a red light at Beacom Boulevard, where her car — showing heavy front-end damage — was blocked in by traffic.
Police said when they interacted with Gomez, she smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot and watery eyes, and failed an eye exam during field sobriety testing. She refused further testing and asked for a lawyer.
While she was sitting in the back of a police vehicle, Gomez spontaneously told officers the victim was a "homeless person" and claimed it was "just an accident," arrest documents said.
Despite her refusal, Miami Fire Rescue conducted two blood draws after police obtained a search warrant. During the second attempt, officers had to forcibly move Gomez into a fire rescue truck for the procedure. Authorities noted in the arrest documents that they found what appeared to be fresh vomit inside her car during the investigation.
Southwest 7th Street was shut down for several blocks that morning as police and first responders investigated. CBS News Miami crews on the scene saw officers surrounding the area where Kipnis' body remained, and later observed Gomez receiving a medical exam two blocks from the crash site.
On Monday, Miami Police received the final toxicology report from the University of Miami's Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. According to updated arrest documents, the results from the exigent blood draw — taken about two-and-a-half hours after the crash — revealed that her BAC levels were between 0.162 and 0.159 g/100ml. The legal BAC limit in Florida is 0.08 g/100ml or 0.08%.
During the first blood draw after the search warrant was issued, Gomez's BAC levels were between 0.112 and 0.0109 g/100ml, which was taken approximately four hours and 47 minutes after the crash. The second blood draw showed her BAC levels were at 0.088, nearly six hours after the crash, the updated arrest documents said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
6 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Ex-boyfriend accused of killing D.C. woman and leaving body in dumpster
In April, after Richard Dyson beat and suffocated his ex-girlfriend in their bedroom, D.C. police allege, he went to a nearby Home Depot and purchased a large black Rubbermaid tub. Homicide detectives say Dyson — who was arrested and charged with murder Wednesday — placed the body of Donnella Bryan, 62, in the tub. Then, according to police, he and a neighbor dragged the tub out of a Northeast Washington apartment building, hailed a ride share and hauled the container to a dumpster in the parking lot of Hechinger Mall in the 1500 block of Benning Road NE. The tub was found April 19, four days later. There was a gray sock in Bryan's mouth, police said. On Thursday, Dyson, 57, charged with second-degree murder, made his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court and was ordered held without bond. His attorney, Corinne Schultz, argued that there was no evidence that Dyson killed Bryan. She said there may be evidence that he moved the body, but no evidence he killed her. But a judge said there was enough evidence to hold him in D. C. jail until next hearing, set for Wednesday. A prosecutor said that although the two lived together, their previous romantic relationship had ended. Bryan, a mother of three and grandmother of two, relocated to Washington from Connecticut in 2015 to be near her daughter, family members said. According to a 53-page arrest warrant affidavit, detectives viewed security video showing Dyson and Bryan entering their apartment on April 15, but Bryan is never seen exiting. Dyson, however, was captured on security cameras leaving the apartment building and going to the nearby Home Depot where, according to receipts, he paid about $38 for the container. Authorities found Bryan's blood in the entryway of Dyson's apartment and in his bedroom next to his bed, according to court documents. Police also said they found Bryan's blood on a pair of Dyson's tan pants, which matched the pants he was wearing when he visited Home Depot, as seen on security camera footage. Dyson was the only person arrested in Bryan's killing. The neighbor whom detectives say helped Dyson carry the tub later turned up dead inside his own apartment. Detectives said they found a bag of white powder next to the bed where the body lay.
Associated Press
8 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Weinstein case judge declares mistrial on remaining rape charge as jury foreperson won't deliberate
NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein 's sex crimes retrial came to a disjointed end Thursday as the jury foreperson declined to deliberate and the judge declared a mistrial on a remaining rape charge, a day after a split verdict on other charges in the landmark #MeToo-era case. The outcome positions the ex-studio boss for a third New York trial — prosecutors said they're ready to retry the rape count — even as he faces a new sentencing on his sexual assault conviction. Weinstein, 73, denies all the charges. The Oscar-winning movie producer had a blank, drained expression as court officers escorted him out Thursday in his wheelchair. His lawyer said he plans to appeal. 'What happened in that jury room was absolutely improper,' attorney Arthur Aidala said outside court. Weinstein is due back in court July 2 for discussion of retrial and sentencing dates. His first-degree criminal sex act conviction carries the potential for up to 25 years in prison, while the unresolved third-degree rape charge is punishable by up to four years — less than he already has served. He's been behind bars since his initial conviction in 2020, and he later also was sentenced to prison in a separate California case, which he's appealing. In Wednesday's partial verdict, Weinstein was convicted of one criminal sex act charge but acquitted of another. Both concerned accusations of forcing oral sex on women in 2006. Those verdicts still stand. While the jury of seven women and five men was unanimous on those decisions, it got stuck on the rape charge involving another woman, Jessica Mann. The hairstylist and actor testified at length — as she did in 2020 — that Weinstein raped her amid a years-long consensual relationship. 'I will never give up on myself and making sure my voice – and the truth – is heard,' Mann said in a statement Thursday, confirming she's ready to testify yet again. Jury-room strains started leaking into public view Friday, when a juror asked to be excused because he felt another was being treated unfairly. Then Monday, the foreperson complained that other jurors were pushing people to change their minds and talking about information beyond the charges. The man raised concerns again Wednesday, telling the judge he felt afraid in the jury room because another juror was yelling at him for sticking to his opinion and suggested the foreperson would 'see me outside.' When Judge Curtis Farber asked the foreperson Thursday whether he was willing to return to deliberations, the man said said no. And with that, Farber declared a mistrial on the rape count. Two jurors disputed the foreperson's account as they left court. One, Chantan Holmes, said that no one mistreated the man and that she believed he was just tired of deliberating. 'We all felt bad. Because we really wanted to do this. We put our hearts and souls in here,' she said. Another jury member, who identified himself only by his juror number, said the deliberations were contentious, but respectful. Weinstein's 2020 conviction seemed to cement the downfall of one of Hollywood's most powerful men in a pivotal moment for the # MeToo movement. The anti-sexual-misconduct campaign was fueled by allegations against him. But that conviction was overturned last year, and the case was sent back for retrial in the same Manhattan courthouse. Weinstein's accusers said he exploited his Tinseltown influence to dangle career help, get them alone and then trap and force them into sexual encounters. 'These hopeful young women were trying to follow their dreams in a world that he controlled,' Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, said at a news conference Thursday. Weinstein's defense portrayed his accusers as Hollywood wannabes and hangers-on who willingly hooked up with him to court opportunity, then later said they were victimized to collect settlement funds and #MeToo approbation. Miriam Haley, the producer and production assistant whom Weinstein was convicted — twice, now — of sexually assaulting, said outside court Wednesday that the new verdict 'gives me hope.' Accuser Kaja Sokola also called it 'a big win for everyone,' even though Weinstein was acquitted of forcibly performing oral sex on her when she was a 19-year-old fashion model. Her allegation was added to the case after the retrial was ordered. Holmes, the juror who spoke outside court, said the panel all felt Sokola 'wasn't credible.' The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they agree to be identified. Haley, Mann and Sokola did so. ___ Associated Press journalists Joseph B. Frederick and Ted Shaffrey contributed.
CBS News
10 minutes ago
- CBS News
Dramatic rescue from Joliet apartment fire caught on body cam video
Joliet police released body cam video that shows a dramatic rescue at a burning apartment building in the southwest suburbs Tuesday. Seven people were injured when the building at 115 Essington Road caught fire. They arrived to find flames shooting out of the building and heavy smoke coming from the attic. Joliet police and firefighters rushed to save a family trapped on their third-floor balcony. In the body cam video you can see a man hit the ground after jumping from the balcony, though he appears to be OK. Rescuers then scale a ladder to save a little girl. After grabbing her, you can see them go back to get the girl's mother down the ladder. The video then shows them going back into the burning building evacuate any residents still inside. Only minor injuries were reported and all residents of the apartment building are accounted for. The Joliet Office of Emergency and Disaster Management is working with the residents who have been displaced.
